About the
Division of Juvenile Justice

The Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), originally known as the California Youth Authority (CYA), was created by statute in 1941 and began operating in 1943, providing training and parole supervision for juvenile and young adult offenders.

As a result, DJJ’s population represents less than one percent of the 225,000 youths arrested in California each year. This population has committed serious and/or violent felonies that requires intensive treatment services conducted in a structured and secure environment.

Currently, the DJJ receives its youthful offender population from both juvenile and superior court referrals. Those youths are sent to the DJJ to receive various training and treatment services. The Juvenile Parole Board, an administrative body separate from DJJ, determines a youth's parole readiness.

The DJJ's mission, as described in Section 1700 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, is to protect the public from criminal activity. The law mandates the division to:

Provide a range of training and treatment services for youthful offenders committed by courts

Direct youthful offenders to participate in community and victim restoration

Assist local justice agencies with efforts to control crime and delinquency

Encourage the development of state and local programs to prevent crime and delinquency

Youths committed directly to the DJJ do not receive determinate sentences. A youth's length of stay is determined by the severity of the committing offense and their progress toward parole readiness; however, the DJJ is authorized to house youths until age 21 or 25, depending upon their commitment offense.

A youths readiness for return to the community is determined by the Juvenile Parole Board. It recommends supervision conditions to county courts which administer them. In the community newly released youth are supervised by county probation departments.

The DJJ also provides housing for youths under the age of 18 who have been sentenced to state prison. Youths sentenced to state prison may remain at DJJ until age 18, or if the youth can complete his or her sentence prior to age 21, the DJJ may house him or her until released to parole.